LACK OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AN INSERTION DELETION POLYMORPHISM IN THE ANGIOTENSIN I-CONVERTING ENZYME GENE AND DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY AND PROLIFERATIVE RETINOPATHY IN IDDM PATIENTS

Genotypic abnormalities of the renin-angiotensin system have been suggested as a risk factor for the development of diabetic nephropathy and proliferative retinopathy. We studied the relationship between an insertion(I)/deletion (D) polymorphism in the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients with diabetic nephropathy (121 men and 71 women, age 40.9 +/- 10 years, diabetes duration 27 +/- 8 years) and in IDDM patients with normoalbuminuria (118 men and 74 women, age 42.7 +/- 10 years, diabetes duration 26 +/- 8 years). A total of 155 patients (40%) had proliferative retinopathy, and 67 patients (17%) had no diabetic retinopathy. There was no difference in genotype distribution between IDDM patients with diabetic nephropathy and those with normoalbuminuria: 63 (32%)/95 (48%)/40 (20%) vs. 67 (35%)/77 (41%)/46 (24%) had DD/ID/II genotypes, respectively. Patients with nephropathy had higher plasma ACE levels (609 [151-1,504] mu g/l) compared with patients with normoalbuminuria (428 [55-1,630] mu g/l) (P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the plasma ACE level in patients with nephropathy is partially determined by ACE/ID polymorphism, mean arterial blood pressure, and glomerular filtration rate (r(2) = 0.30, P < 0.001). There was no difference in genotype distribution between IDDM patients with proliferative retinopathy and those without diabetic retinopathy: 52 (34%)/74 (48%)/29 (19%) vs. 26 (39%)/25 (37%)/16 (24%) had DD/ID/II genotypes, respectively. There was also no difference in plasma ACE concentration detected among patients with no, simplex, or proliferative retinopathy. We conclude that the ACE/ID polymorphism does not contribute to the genetic susceptibility to diabetic nephropathy and proliferative retinopathy, whereas the raised plasma ACE concentration may play a role in the initiation and progression of diabetic nephropathy in Caucasian IDDM patients.